DUNDAS, ON — Northern Harmony reclaimed the two-year-old pacing filly crown with a stunning track and Ontario Sires Stakes record performance at Flamboro Downs on Friday night.
The Run The Table daughter and regular driver Randy Waples fired off the wings from Post 5 and skirmished briefly at the front with The Patriot before dropping onto the rail in third spot. The duo watched patiently as Keith Oliver rolled The Patriot through brisk fractions of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:25.2 with Please Me Please pressing the pace from the outside.
As the fillies turned for home The Patriot was still on top by one length, but Waples was reaching for the turbo button. Storming down the stretch Northern Harmony reeled in The Patriot and paced under the wire two lengths on top in a new track and OSS record 1:54.4, taking three-fifths of a second off the great Odies Fame’s 1998 speed mark.
The win was the second Gold Final victory for Northern Harmony, who is owned by Gerrie Tucker of Montreal, QC, Sampson Street Stables of Old Forge, PA, Don Bray of Newcastle and Angelo Dinardo of Etobicoke. Hagersville resident Bill Robinson trains the gifted filly, who has only been bested once since her June 25 racing debut. In seven starts she has posted six wins and banked a total of $225,310.
The Patriot, owned by Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Suvretta Stables of Toronto and trained by Campbellville’s John Kopas, stayed game for second and Tribute To Heroes was another three lengths back in third. Northern Harmony and The Patriot also sit in first and second position in the Super Final standings with 250 and 212 points respectively, and have so dominated the two-year-old pacing filly division that their next closest competitor, Town Jiffy, is 129 points behind them.
The freshman fillies will not make their next Ontario Sires Stakes start until Sept. 20 at Windsor Raceway, however many will compete in a series of lucrative stakes events at Woodbine and Mohawk Racetrack over the coming weeks including the $200,000 Robert Stewart, the $750,000 Shes A Great Lady, $272,000 Champlain and $315,000 Harvest. With the impressive resumes they have assembled in OSS action, the province’s top fillies will be a force to be reckoned with against any American-breds brave enough to make the trip north.
Flamboro Downs fans are looking forward to more exceptional Ontario Sires Stakes action this weekend as the three-year-old trotting colts compete in two Gold Eliminations on Saturday’s 3 pm card and the two-year-old pacing colts arrive for their third Gold Eliminations on Sunday at 6:20 pm.